Curtain fixture



ug. l0, 1937.

W. S. HAMM ET AL CURTAIN FIXTURE Filed Aug. 27, 1936 Nmm. WMWBMJQWQW mm. 0M

Patented Aug. 1o, 1937 Y f 2,089,305

UNTED STATES. PATENT GFFIQE CURTAIN FIXTURE William S. Hamm and Frank A. Schuetz, Elkhart,

Ind., assignors to The Adlake Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 27, 1936, Serial No. 98,110

4 Claims. (Cl. 156-26) This invention has to do with curtainl fixtures guides I4 at the sides of the curtain. The heads of the type in which the gripping members are re- I 2 are provided with stems I5 which are slidtracted from the guides by the rotation of a cenably mounted in hollowed out blocks i6 in the trally located knob. ends of the tube. The blocks I6 are frictionally The object of the invention is to provide an positioned in the ends of the tube, about midway improved curtain fixture of the type described between the upper and lower edges of the latter,

in which a direct spring pull is exerted against in an enlargement I'I of generally rectangular both gripping members at the same time, without cross section. any lost motion in the knob or other parts, im- I'he stems I5 of the heads are reduced in diamlO mediately upon the knob being turned, and Witheter at I8, and springs I9 are positioned in the l0 out regard to the direction in which it is turned. blocks I6 about the reduced portions of the stems The new fixture-which is a substantial imbetween opposed shoulders 20 and 2l on the stems provement in some respects over the fixture deand blocks. These springs act to project the scribed in the copending application of William heads I2 at all times toward the guides I4 to ef- S. Hamm, Serial No. 50,067, I'lled November 16, feet a firm frictional engagement of the shoes I3 l5 1935-is quite inexpensive to manufacture, can be with the guides. easily taken apart and put together, is lightv in The inner ends of the stems I are screwed into weight, will not rattle when jarred, releases inshort Coupling members 22 which are also slidstantly, and gives a quick smooth and firm gripably mounted in the blocks I6, and the coupling ping action. members 22 are pivotally connected by means oi 20 While the foregoing statements are indicative pins 23 to the adjacent ends of long sheet metal in a general way of the nature of the invention, strips 24. The other ends of the strips 24, which other more specic objects and advantages willv be are located near the center of the fixture, are apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full supported centrally within the enlarged portion 25 understanding of the construction, arrangement. I'I of the tube I0 by means of felt blocks 25, which 25 and operation of the parts which have been comblocks fit snugly but slidably within the enlarged bined to make up the xture. portion.

One form of the invention is'presented herein The heads l2 with the shoes I3 are retracted for the purpose of exemplification, but it will against the yielding resistance of the springs I3 of course be appreciated that the invention is bymeans of an operating knob 26 which is jour- 30 susceptible of embodiment in other structurally naled in the tube I0 midway between the ends modied forms coming equally within the scope of the same. The knob is connected by means of the appended claims. of a screw 21 to a hub 28 which is located within ln the accompanying drawing: the tube in coaxial relation to the knob. The Fig. 1 is an inside front view of a Window curknob has a reduced stem portion 29 which is 35 tain assembly equipped with the new fixture; journaled in a bearing aperture 30 in the front Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through face of the tube, and behind the stem portion one end of the fixture; 29 the knob is provided with a small diametrically Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the same arranged rib 3I which lits into a slot 32 in the end of the xture; opposed face of the hub 28. This interlock ef- 40 Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section, taken on fects a rigid connection between the knob and the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; hub, causing the hub to turn with the knob, Fig. 5 is a similar section, taken on the line while permitting ready separation of the parts 5 5 of Fig. 2; upon removal of the clamping screw 21. Fig. 6 is a similar section, taken on the line The hub 28 is connected with the strips 24 by 45 6-6 of Fig. 5; and means of two oppositely extending pairs of paral- Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken lel wire links 33 which are pivotally attached to on the line '1 -I of Fig. 3, with one of the felt pins 34 located in an annular groove 35 in the centering blocks removed to show the plate hub and project through apertures 36 in small against which it is mounted. outturned flanges 37 on the adjacent ends of the 5o As will be observed in the drawing, the fixture strip. Beyond the apertures 36 the links are enis mounted in a metal tube In which is attached circled by coil Springs 38 which are Compressed tc the lower edge of a curtain Il. The xture between the anges 3l and washers 39 on the includes heads I2 at the ends of the tube which ends of the links. The coil springs 38 are encarry rubber shoes I3 for frictional coaction with cased within small cylindrical housings 40, which 55 housings are formed from the curled-up edges of plates 4I which are positioned against the strips 24 behind the felt blocks 25. The plates 4I and the felt blocks 25 are both secured to the strips 24 by means of screws 42.

With a curtain fixture such as described any turning movement of the knob 26 in either direction will immediately exert a pull on the heads I2 through the medium of the spring-actuated links 33, one of the links in each of the pairs `always being in a position wherein it will respond to the turning movement of the knob without any' lost motion in the device. The springs 38 are suiiciently compressed to prevent any rattling of the parts, and the resistance to further compression olered by the springs is enough to cause the heads to move as soon as the knob is turned.

Initial adjustment of the shoes I3 with reference to the guides I4 may be obtained by screwing the stems I5 of the heads into or out of the coupling members 22. To prevent any unintentional turning movement of the stems in the coupling members when the heads I2 are for any reason out of the guides, the heads may be made rotatable with respect to the stems by being provided with tubular collars 43 which can rotate freely on the ends of the stems while being held against any axial movement thereon. The collars 43 and the ends of the stems can then be provided with registering apertures 44 through which a small nail or otherv implement may be passed Whenever it is desired to screw the stems into or out of the coupling members.r

The fixture can be put together or taken apart very easily. The heads I2, coupling members 22, strips 24, links 33, springs 38 and hub 28 can all be secured together before the mechanism is inserted in the tube IB. By merely unscrewing one of the heads the remaining interconnected parts can be threaded through the tube, after which the end blocks I6 can be placed in position, the

separated head I2 replaced, the hubv 28 brought of the curtain, springs for pressing the heads outwardly, rods connected with the heads, a rotatable operating member, and links connecting each of the rods with the operating member at points above and below the axis of the latter whereby regardless of the direction in which the member is turned one of the links will immediately exert a direct pull on the rod with which it is connected. A

2. In a curtain fixture, heads at the ends of the xture for engagement with guides at the sides of the curtain, springs for pressing the heads outwardly, rods connected with the heads, a rotatable-operating member, and links connecting each of the rods with the operating member at "points labove and below the axis of the latter wherebyregardless of the direction in which the member is turned one of the links will immediately exert a direct pull on the rod with which it is connected, said links having overrunning connections with the rods.

3. In a curtain fixture, heads at the ends of the xture for engagement with guides at the sides of the curtain, springs for pressing the heads outwardly, rods connected with the heads, a rotatable operating member, and links connecting each of the rods with 'the operating member at points above and below the axisof .the latter whereby regardless of the directionin which the member is turned one of the links will immediately exert a direct pull-on` the rod with which it is connected, said links having overrunning spring-tensioned connections with the rods. y'

4. In a curtain fixture, a metal tube for attachment to the lower edge of .a curtain, heads at the ends of the tube for engagement with guides at the sides of the curtains, springs for pressing the heads outwardly, rods within the tube connected with the heads, a rotatable operating member journaled in the tube, at the center of the same adjacent the ends of the rods, links connecting each o-f the rods with the operating member at points above and below the axis of the latter whereby regardless of the direction in which the member is turned one of the links-wil1 immediately exert a direct pull onA the rod with which'it is connected, and felt' blocks carried by the rods adjacent the links for maintaining the rods centered within the tube.

. WILLIAM S. HAMM.

'FRANK A. SCHUE'IZ. 

